Tim Ainley, CEO of Forward Edge, recently shared an inspiring message at a graduation commencement ceremony that is a timely and impactful message for us all. But, especially for recent graduates, young adults, and teens, these words could be the guiding principles you need as you step into a world with a million different possibilities:
Read Part 3: Let God’s Will Come to You
And finally, here’s my fourth and final piece of advice:
What? Live to be forgotten? That’s weird, right? This is a hard one for me. Because everyone wants to be remembered. Everyone wants to leave an impression. Everyone wants to be esteemed and honored and recognized, right?
But what was John the Baptist famous for saying as his ministry was coming to a close? “He must increase, and I must decrease.” I must fade away, and be forgotten, so that He can be the one remembered.
Paul says in Galatians 2:20: I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh, I live by faith in the son of God who loves me and gave Himself up for me.
Well first, we see that Paul knows Whose he is, right? And in that, Paul considers himself dead – he no longer lives. His life is Christ’s now. He belongs to Him.
In Philippians 1:21, Paul says for him, “to live is Christ and to die is gain.”
Graduates, let’s not live to make names for ourselves. Let’s live to make known the name of Jesus. Let’s daily pick up our cross, deny ourselves, and follow Him.
Let’s remember that we are His – He bought us with his life, so let’s give Him back what He paid for: our lives.
Let’s not live for our own sake’s, but like Jesus, let’s live for the sake of others. Let’s serve others because that’s what we were created to do.
And let’s not run ahead of God, striving to make things happen in our own strength. Let’s be patient and enjoy the freedom that comes when we let Him lead.
Down the street from Forward Edge’s office is a cemetery: Memory Memorial Park. I took a walk through it a few weeks ago, just praying, asking God what He wanted me to share with you all.
I was looking at all the tombstones, and was surprised to see how old they were. Many of the people buried there lived more than 200 years ago; we’re talking early 1800s.
As I looked at one of them – John Becker, born in 1818 – I thought to myself, “you know, I bet nobody today has any clue who John Becker was. He’s been completely forgotten.”
He had no flowers on his grave. None of them did in this old section of the cemetery. There were flowers in the newer section. But not here. Because no one remembers these people anymore. They’re all forgotten.
And the reality is, someday, same is the future for you and me. Two hundred, three hundred years from now…the odds are…we will all be forgotten.
But you know who won’t be? Do you know whose name will never be forgotten? In fact, do you know whose name will be heard by every tribe and every nation and every tongue on the face of the earth? The only name by which men can be saved…the name by which every knee will bow, and every tongue will confess He is LORD. The name of Jesus Christ.
So, I implore you, graduates…live to be forgotten, and…
Long live the name of Jesus Christ.
by Joseph Anfuso A well-known 19th-century philosopher once said: “He who has a why to live can bear almost any how.” So, what does that mean? It means that someone who’s found a purpose in life—a “why” to live for—can overcome any obstacle in his or her path. It means
One of Forward Edge’s most dearly held values is the importance of relationships. And what better way has God given us to bond with others than over a table of good food. Culture is often shared through food. Sharing meals isn’t just about filling our stomachs—it’s about connection over stories,
I just returned from a mission trip to our child sponsorship program in El Cobre, Cuba and spent several days with not only my sponsored child but some of yours as well! What a joy to see them face to face, hug them, and to share some quality time. One
“Consider this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to bless you abundantly,
12 yrs. old
Entered the program: March 2025
Margret lives with her mother and four siblings in a two-room rented bungalow-style house made with burnt bricks, a sheet metal roof and dirt floor. They have no electricity and lighting is provided by a 2-bulb solar unit. They cook with firewood outdoors and share a communal toilet facility with other tenants. Water is collected from a nearby community borehole which they boil to drink.
Plus bonus group fundraising ideas!
